Process for the recovery of benzene hydrocarbons from coal-gas



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES EDMOND DARIER, OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF BENZENE HYDBOCARIBONS FROM COAL-GAS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-GEoRoEs EDMOND DARIER, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, residing in Geneva, Switzerland, have invented a certain new and useful Process for the Recovery of Benzene Hydrocarbons from Coal-Gas, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in a process for the recovery of benzene hydrocarbons from coal gas and is basedon the fact that benzene hydrocarbons contained in coal gas are easily retained in solution in petroleum oil or in one of its refined products, when the gas is subjected to a methodical washing by means of these liquids at a temperature below +5 (1., or, which is preferable, below0. C,, while at higher temperatures the portion retained is practically negli-, gible or rail.

The invention is carried out by means of any apparatus suitable for reactions between liquids and gases, but adapted, however, to maintain the temperature below. +5 or better below 0 as for instance, towers, Washers, absorbers, Livisey washer, atomizers and the like as now industrially employed.

---Petroleum oil saturated with benzene hydrocarbons issuing from such apparatus is subsequently submitted to a partial distillation (up to about 150) which allows the hydrocarbons to separate and possibly, for

the first operation, the contained petroleum oil ethers also; the part not distilled enters again into the operation. Nevertheless, a complete distillation of the petroleum oil should be resorted to when it retains gas impurities in too large a quantity.

The cooling of the gas and petroleum oil,

both of which shouldif possible be below 0,

can be effected either separately one after the other or both together, or only one of two may be cooled if it be sufliciently cooled for the'mixture to remain below 0, or, in every case, below +5; if the gas be separately 7 cooled the greater part of the contained water vapor is eliminated by cooling below Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed July 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,414.

0, which dispenses, with a possible desiccation by oth er means. The cooling processes are those readily used in industry; they are based on the use of liquid gas, expansively working and other cooling machines.

It is advantageous to arrange theinstallations so that the cooled gas issuing from the petroleum oil absorbing apparatus serves itself to cool the entering gas; simiof the weight of the recovered benzene hy-.

drocarbons. On the contrary, by washing at a temperature of +20 the weight of benzene hydrocarbons incorporated in the petroleum oil is no more than 6/100 of the quantity recovered by washing at 15.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect I washing the coal gas by petroleum oil at a temperature below plus five degrees C., then fractionally distilling from the resulting compound benzene hydrocarbon, and utilize ing the cooled and washed gas and liquid thus obtained for reducing the temperature of the entering-gas and liquid.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ljoons'rr MUNIoY, M. Newer. 

